Washington DC (Tues.,
July 8) -- U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy
(D-VT), and Charles Grassley (R-IA), today urged Attorney General
John Ashcroft to reverse his department's refusal and provide the
Judiciary Committee with a report on the FBI's handling of the Wen
Ho Lee espionage case.

The
request by the three Senators, including Judiciary Committee Ranking
Member Leahy, was made in a letter to the Attorney General after
Justice Department staff refused to turn over a report recently
completed by the Department of Justice's Office of Professional
Responsibility (OPR).

"The
Senate Judiciary Committee has exercised close oversight over the
Wen Ho Lee case, including holding three hearings while you were
still a member of the committee," the Senators wrote. " Members of
the committee would like to continue our oversight role over the Wen
Ho Lee case by examining the OPR report.

When
OPR began investigating the Wen Ho Lee case in 2000, the intent was
clearly to make its report available to the Congress and the
American people. For example, Presidential Press Secretary Joe
Lockhart stated on September 22, 2000, with regard to the OPR
report, that the President, Congress, and the American public
'should look forward to an accounting there and I think that will be
done.'

However, there can be no such accounting unless the report - at a
minimum - is provided to members of relevant Congressional oversight
committees. We would also note that the Department of Justice has
made OPR reports available to the Judiciary Committee in other
instances, including oversight hearings involving alleged misconduct
at Ruby Ridge. We greatly appreciate your assistance with this
matter, and look forward to your prompt response."